Compassion versus the Vagabond
An oral lecture that was later written into text for mass dissemination "Compassion Versus the Vagabond" was a study provided by Mother Castrilyn Lancaster to Thomas Adallen, squire-aspirant of the Silver Hand, concerning the virtue compassion in which the priestess explains the metaphor of the "double-edged sword" and the importance of when to exercise and restrain various forms of the principle. # Lancaster "Compassion is often reserved for the last major virtue to be taught, do you understand why?" # Thomas "Well, compassion is dangerous. Sometimes you can do more harm than good in trying to help somebody." # Lancaster "Could you give me an example?" # Thomas "... What kind of example are you looking for- well, uh, suppose you pass by someone who looks like they... are struggling with something - a physical task. They don't ask for help, but you insist an offer on helping because you feel it is the right thing to do. Even though you are helping, it may not be seen as so." # Lancaster "It sounds to me as if you're providing me with the book's example, though slightly... modified." # Thomas "... I suppose I am. One needs to know how to... understand another. You have to look around you, step back from a situation and try to see if you're truly needed before you apply yourself to the situation at hand. # Lancaster "Alright, I can respect that, though let me give you an example. While coming cross a bridge leaving the Mage Quarter, you are approached by an individual in rather poor repair. Ragged clothes, unkept hair, poor looking lad in general. Smelled of booze too, it clung to him as strong as a newborn to their mother, metaphorically, of course. The man as he approached asks for a few coins, saying he is hungry and has been 'down on his luck.' Well, unbeknownst to him, you have witnessed this same man in the past conning good-willing citizens, and using their coin to further his problem by spending it to drink ale. Now you would think, knowing his tendencies, you should show compassion by not giving him the coins for 'food' because you know he is going to just spend it on alcohol. By not giving him coin, you show compassion by indirectly inhibiting his addiction, correct?" # Thomas "...Had I been in that situation, no. I wouldn't have given him coin." # Lancaster "Well, the answer is yes, and no. By showing compassion in that sense, yes, I didn't aid his alcoholism, but at the same time I didn't solve it either. At the end of the day, he still is a vagabond alcoholic who, let's be honest, was probably genuinely struggling for money to provide himself with food too. Well, let's take this a step back now. If I did give the man coin, we both know that he would of instead spent it on booze, and now my act of compassion, as sincere and honest as it was, solved nothing and only worsened the problem. So you can see how either of our two possible acts of compassion only great a more dangerous issue, correct?" # Thomas "I suppose I would have offered him something to eat, instead of giving him coin. I'd give him the option of agreeing or disagreeing, but I do see your point." # Lancaster "Exactly, and now you're thinking outside the box. Compassion is not always a clean-cut choice. It is often grey and you must rely on the Light's good will and your instinct. # Thomas "I understand this, yes." # Lancaster "So let's go with your answer and provide the man with food instead of coin. What will happen once you leave? What will he eat tomorrow? He will still be poor after you depart and once again fall victim to hunger." # Thomas "This is also true, and we don't know if I would ever see that individual again, or if anybody would ever care to feed him either. There is still an issue." # Lancaster "Exactly. So now after exploring our three possible acts of compassion, all different in execution and style, we still did not solve our root problem at hand, which is the man is starving and needs help to get back on his feet, albeit providing him food was better than the other two options. So, this is what I would have done. I would have offered the man a chance to come with me, a chance to change from his rags to something presentable. We could find him a job, perhaps a deck hand in the harbor, or a smith's aid, a stable keeper. Now the man has money, and now a man can feed himself and stay off the streets." # Thomas "That doesn't help his main problem though, which was... drinking." # Lancaster'' "Which you are right, however, now the man shall not starve to death, which I think we can agree is far better than our other three options. Compassion is tricky and won't always be perfect. Now that he is clothed and fed, we still cannot abandon him because as you pointed out, now the only thing that changed is he can now afford his booze, and well, hopefully food too. So how do we solve this issue? Well, perhaps we could mentor him, bring him to the Light, encourage him to find pleasure in other forms, such as helping the less fortunate, or making toys for orphans, whatever it be, as long as it is not the bottom of a glass." # ''Thomas "It makes sense now... I see how my choices affect the outcome of the situation. The decision to employ or not to employ compassion all had noble intentions, but depending on how I did it and the course of action I took, it could've been beneficial or damaging for the vagabond." Category:Church of the Holy Light Category:Religion Category:Philosophy Category:Library of the Holy Church